Ventrac 4500Y w/ MS720 Mower Deck Roll or Slide

[johara1]

It started by cutting side ease on a steep slope but it was a little wet and it broke loose and I couldn't get it turned. It was fine till I slide to the bottom and the bottom tires bit in and over it went and it even stopped traffic.... LOL. hooked a couple of nylon chokers to it and set it unchecked the fluids and went back to cutting.... Jim

 

[MowMN]

It started by cutting side ease on a steep slope but it was a little wet and it broke loose and I couldn't get it turned. It was fine till I slide to the bottom and the bottom tires bit in and over it went and it even stopped traffic.... LOL. hooked a couple of nylon chokers to it and set it unchecked the fluids and went back to cutting.... Jim

On one of the Ventrac Facebook pages someone posted a similar story complete with pictures a few years back. Operator was on a highway embankment, tractor started to slide, the downhill tires caught and the tractor rolled a couple of times down to the bottom of the hill. Luckily the operator was buckled in and the ROPS saved his life. Even though these machines are great and much safer on hills than a conventional tractor, you always have to use caution when operating on slopes.

 

[prs]

If I Recall Correctly (always thin ice) the engine oil starvation due to excess slope varies among the engine choices. There is also a TIME factor such that one is not to exceed the given slope for more than X minutes of time. The time allowances I recall are pretty generous such that if one is not staying on the same slope for pretty long runs, all "should be" well. The topography I deal with has me transitioning with steep slope to lesser slope to hardly any slope and left to right and up to down almost always within a few minutes at most and more commonly within mere seconds. I have never noticed the oil pressure "dummy light" coming on, although an oil pressure gauge would be nice.

prs

 

[johara1]

I. keep mine over full a little to help with that but if you see the light come on you already caused damage... I had issues with a Steiner I had..... Now I don't trust an idiot light, I have a gage installed..... Jim

 

[leonz]

Hello Everyone,

I apologize if this question has been asked here before but I was unable to find it in a search so I am going to ask anyway.

I have some very steep hills on my property, 30-35 degrees that I have been weedeeting up until recently. I just ponied up and got this unit a few days ago:

View attachment 752733

This thing is a lot different from any other tractor or mower that I have been on and I am having trouble getting a feel for the limits of the machine. My question to this community is, in your experience do these mowers typically try to tip or slide first on a steep side slope?

You may want to consider mounting a set of tracks on the front and rear sized for your wheel hubs and fender clearances.
The one pictured below are the AGRIZETA CGH310K lower profile tractor tracks.

Anything from Mattracks will probably cost 3 times as much

The North American dealer for AGRIZETA tracks is Earth Tools in Owenton, Kentucky, nice folks and friendly too. 1-502-484-3988

 

[johara1]

Just go up and down easy enough as long as you got a place to land at the bottom. I go up and down for a short ways on a lot steeper than that. ..... Jim